Devotees from Banga, Balachaur & Nawanshahr embark on free pilgrimage from Khatkar Kalan

Under the second phase of the Chief Minister’s Pilgrimage Scheme, the first batch of devotees from three Assembly constituencies — Banga, Balachaur and Nawanshahr — was flagged off from Khatkar Kalan for Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar, today.

Banga MLA Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, Chairman of Nagar Improvement Trust Satnam Singh Jalwaha, Vice-Chairman of SC Commission Harjot Lotiya, Nawanshahr SDM Anamjyot Kaur, Banga SDM Vipin Bhandari, AAP state secretary and Doaba Zone In-charge Tarun Arora were present on the occasion.

MLA Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi said that under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the state government has launched the second phase of the pilgrimage scheme to enable devotees to visit prominent religious places free of cost. He added that a medical team has also been deputed with the devotees to provide immediate assistance in case of any emergency during the journey.

Chairman Nagar Improvement Trust Satnam Singh Jalwaha thanked the Chief Minister and termed the initiative as a noble step, especially for senior citizens. He informed that the Punjab Government has made comprehensive arrangements for food, accommodation, medical facilities and transportation, ensuring a comfortable and hassle-free pilgrimage for all devotees.

He further stated that during the three-day pilgrimage, devotees will visit Sri Darbar Sahib, Ram Tirath Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and Wagah Border. All arrangements for night stay and meals have been made in advance. He added that buses will depart every third day from the constituency under this scheme.

The devotees expressed immense happiness and gratitude, stating that due to financial constraints and life’s responsibilities, many of them were earlier unable to visit distant religious places.